Differential-pressure valve



April 26 1927. 1,625,780

C. H. ATKINS DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE VALVE Filed Nov. 3. 1925 INVENTOR.

I M am.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. ATKINS,OF PALMER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ATKINS AND COMI- PANY, INC., OF PALMER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DIFFERENTIAL-PRESSURE VALVE.

Application filed November My invention relates to improvements in valves for regulating, governing, or controlling the pressure of steam in its circulation from and to boilers or heating elements, and consists essentially of a peculiarly-constructed casing having oppositely disposed inlets and an intermediate outlet, a balanced valve member in said casing arranged to open and close the passage in the casing between one of saidinlets and said outlet, said valve being provided with an enlarged head in operative position relative to theother of said inlets, and having a relief opening or passage therein or therethrough communicating with the chamber in the, casing in which said head is located, and means, such as a spring or weight, to unbalance the valve member on the opening side under normal conditions, together with such other parts and members as may be necessary or desirable in order to render the valve complete and serviceable in every respect, all as hereinafterset forth.

The primary object of my invention is to produce a differential pressure valve, for use in high or low pressure steam heating sys tems in factories and oflice buildings, in paper mills on driers of paper machines, in cotton mills on drying cans or Slashers, and on drying cans in print works, bleacheries, and dye Works, and in numerous other places where the same is applicable, for the purpose of removing the water of condensation from the heating element, and also for removing air and all gases that are heavier than the steam with which they are in contact, whereby the heating capacity of the system is increased, such valve being simple and durable in construction, since it consists of few parts which are strong and. not liable to break or get out of order, besides being highly eflicient and practicable. With this valve the water of condensation, air, and gases are removed under high temperature as well as under high pressure.

Another object is to produce a valve, of the class described, which enables all traps to be dispensed with.

A further object is to provide such a valve that can be readily installed in the steam system with which it is to be used.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following descriptlon.

l attain theobjccts and s-iecurc the advaiv 28, 1925. Serial No. 71,968.

tages of my invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan of a differential pressure valve which embodies, a practical form of my invention; Fig. 2, a central, vertical section through said'valve,with which are shown fragmentary portions of three connected pipes; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the lower portion of said valve,;looking into the outlet thereof, and, Fig. 1, a top plan of the valve casing without the cover plate, and showing the valve member in cross section.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views. The valve illustrated in the drawings com prises a vertical casing 1 provided with a cover plate 2', a hollow cylindrical valve member 3 provided at the top with an enlarged or overhanging head 1, said valve member having in one side thereof an opening 5, and a spiral spring 6.

The casing 1 has at the top an enlarged or overhanging head 7 in which is a chamber 8, and said casing below said head is en-' largcd or bulbous to form an annular chamher 9. The casing 1 has a tubular part 10 which extends downwardly into the chamber 9, and a tubular part 11 which extends upwardly into said chamber, there being a clear space between the inner ends of said tubular parts. The tubular part 11 is in the nature of a seat for the valve member 3 which is slidingly arranged in the tubular part 10. The passage through the tubular part 10 continues upwardly through the casing 1 to open at the top into the chamber 8, and the passage in the tubular part or seat 11 continues downwardly througl'i said casing at the bottom of which said last-nan' e'd passage opens at 12. Thus it is seen that there are two axial passages in the casing 1 which are in line with each other and both of which open at their inner ends into the chamber 9. The diameters of these passages are similar and each is equal to the diameter of the valve member 3. The casing 1 has on one side a projection 13 through which is an opening 14 into the chamber 9. The chamber 9, is closed on top by the cover plate 2 which is securely bolted at 15 to the head 7 In the axial center of the plate 2 is an opening 16. d

The openings 12 and 16 are inlet openings, and the opening 1% is an outlet opening, and the walls of said openings are screw-threaded to receive steam pipes which form parts of the steam circulating system, and at 17, 18. and 19 are shown, in Fig. 2,. and also in Fig. 5, connected portions of such pipes. The pipe 17 is the return main from the heating element, the pipe 18 is the discharge pipe to the hot well, and the pipe 19 connects the valve with the steam main. The pipe 19, in the present example, is smaller than either the pipe 17 or 18.

The head 4 of the valve member 3 has a sliding fit in the chamber 8, just as said member has a sliding lit in the passages below, and the spring 6 is interposed between the bottom of said chamber and said head. Preferably the spring 6 is helical to enable its convolutions to nest when said spring is compressed, whereby the vertical space required for the spring is economized. Thevalve member 3 is open at the bottom, and the opening 5 in the side thereof communicates with the interior of said member and the chamber 8 below the head 1.

ater of condensation entering the casing 1 through the pipe 17 and the steam in the pipe 19 would balance the valve member 3, were it not for the presence of the spring 6 which is made to exert an upward pressure on said valve member equal to about one )ound to the square inch. The valve mem er 3 is, therefore, retained with its head 4 against the cover plate 2, and the way is left open and clear, in the casing 1, for the water to pass freely from the pipe 17 to the pipe 18, said water on the way entering the tubular part .11 and. escaping through the top of said part into the chamher 9. Vfhen, however, steam, which exerts less pressure than the water of condensation, enters the chamber 9, the pressure on the valve head 4, from the steam in the pipe 19, overcomes the resistance of the spring 6 and forces the valve member 3 downwardly into the tubular part or seat 11, and thus closes the way from the pipe 17 and cuts oil the flow of .aid steam between these points. Then, upon the appearance again oi" the water of condensation in the tubular part 11, the spring 6 acts to raise the valve member 3 into its open position again, and thereby clear the passageway for the passage of the water from the pipe 1.7 to the pipe 18. The valve member 3 at times will only be partially closed, that is, it will not be moved downwardly, by the preponderance of force on the closing side. a sufficient distance to enter the passage in the tubular member 11. before the pressure is stabilized again, when said member is opened wide once more. In this manner and by this means the circulation and pressure of the steam in the system are stabilized and rendered more nearly uniform so that there is a substantial saving in expense of operation, as well as the saving incident to the absence of traps, together with the great increase in BiliClGIlCY, and the olher advantages.

The valve member 3 moves freely and frequently down and up to close, partially close, and full open the way from between the tubular parts 10 and 11 into the chamber 9, as the pressure below said valve member varies, first, even with the added pressure of the spring 6, ialling more or less below the pressure from the steam in the pipe 19, and then rising to overcome, with the aid oi the spring pressure, the steam pressure above said member.

The opening 5, in the valve member 3, aii'ords means for relieving the pressure in the chamber 8, when the head 1- with said member is forced downwardly.

It is now clear that the valve is open for the passage through the same of the water of condensation, and closed to the passage therethrough of steam.

The side of the valve member on which the steam from the pipe 19 impinges is termed the closing side, and the opposite side is termed the opening side.

More or less change in the shape, size, construction, and arrangement of some or all of the parts of this valve may be made, without departing from the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

W hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. A valve, of the class described, comprising a. casing having oppositely-disposed inlets and an intermediate outlet, a passage between one oi? said inlets and said outlet, and a chamber into which the other of said inlets opens, a valve member arranged in said casing to open and close said passage, provided with a partin and coextensive in area with that of said chamber, ydehling means to retain said valve member in open position, except when the pressure on the closing side of saic valve member falls below the pressure on the other side thereof together with the pressure at said yielding means, and means to relieve the pressure in said chamber, the latter being closed except when one of said inlets and said relief means open into the same.

.2. A valve, of the class described, comprising a casing having oppositely-disposed inlets and an intermediate outlet, a passage between one of said inlets and said oullet. and a chamber into which the other 01 said inlets opens, a valve member arranged in said casing to open and close said passage, provided with a part in and coextensive in area with that of saidchamber, and having a relief passage opening at one end into said chamber, and at the other end through the lilfi inner end of said valve member, yielding means to retain said valve member in open position when the elemental pressure on opposite sides thereof is approximately uni form, said chamber being closed except where one of said inlets and said passage open into the same.

3. The combination, in a valve of the class described, with a casing having a chamber in one end, an inlet in the other end, and an intermediate chamber having an outlet, and provided with tubular parts extending into said intermediate chamber with their ends spaced apart, and means to close said end chamber at its outer end, said means having an inlet, of a valve mem ber arranged to slide in said tubular parts to open and close the way from said firstnamed inlet to said outlet, provided with a head slidingly arranged in said end chamber, yielding means to retain said valve member in open position when the elemental forces on opposite sides thereof are approximately equal, and means to relieve the pressure in said end chamber when said valve member is moved into closed position.

4. The combination, in a valve of the class described, with a casing having a chamber in one end, an inlet in the other end, and an intermediate chamber having an outlet, and provided with tubular parts extending into said intermediate chamber with their ends spaced apart, and means to close the top of said end chamber, said means having an inlet, of a valve member arranged to slide in said tubular part to open and close the way from the bottom inlet to said outlet, provided with a head slidingly arranged in said end chamber, mechanical means to retain said valve member in open position when the elemental forces on opposite sides thereof are approximately equal, and means to relieve the pressure in said end chamber when said valve member is moved into closed position.

5. The combination, in a valve of the class described, with a casing having a chamber in one end, an inlet in the other end, and an intermediate chamber having an outlet, and provided with tubular parts extending into said intermediate chamber, and opening at their inner ends into said intermediate chamber, and means to close said end chamber at the outer end, said means having an inlet, of a valve member arranged to slide in said tubular )arts to open and close the way from said first named inlet to said outlet, provided with a head slidingly arranged in said end chamber, yielding means to retain said valve member in open position when the elemental forces on opposite sides thereof are approximately equal, said valve member having an opening therethrough which communicates with said end chamber.

6. The combination, in a valve of the class described, with a casing having a' chamber in one end, an inlet in the other end, and an intermediate chamber having an outlet, and provided with tubular parts extending into said intermediate chamber, and opening at their inner ends into said intermediate chamber, and means to close the top of said end chamber, said means having an inlet, of a valve member arranged to slide in said tubular parts to open and close the way from thevbottom inlet to said outlet, provided with a head slidingly arranged in said end chamber, mechanical means to retain said valvemember in open position when the elemental forces on opposite sides thereof are approximately equal, said valve member having an opening therethrough which communicates with said end chamber.

7. The combination, in a valve of the class described, with a casing having a chamber in the upper end, an inlet at the lower end, an intermediate chamber having an outlet, and provided with tubular parts extending into said intermediate chamber and opening at their inner endsinto said intermediate chamber, and a plate secured to said casing over said end chamber, and having an inlet, of a valve member slidingly arranged in said casing to open and close the way from the bottom inlet to said outlet, provided with a head arranged to slide in said end chamber, and having a relief opening communicating with said end chamber and the interior of the valve member, the latter being open at the bottom and closed at the top, andaspring in said end chamber between the bottom thereof and said head.

8. The combination, in a valve of the class described, with a casing having a chamber in the upper end, an inlet at the lower end, an intermediate chamber having an outlet, and provided with tubular parts extending into said intermediate chamber and opening at their inner end into said intermediate chambenand a plate secured to said casing over said end chamber, and

having an inlet, of a valve member slid- .ingly arranged in said casing to open and close the way from the bottom inlet to said outlet, provided with a head. arranged to slide in said end chamber, and having a relief opening communicating with said end chamber and the interior of the valve member, the latter being open at the bottom and closed at the top, and a helical spring in said end chamber between the bottom thereof and said head.

, CHARLES H. ATKINS. 

